Photo Credit: Halfpoint
The following is a summary of “Paradox of workplace violence in the intensive care unit: a focus group study,” published in the July 2024 issue of Critical Care by Sjöberg et al.
Conflicts arise in ICUs due to the pressures of critical illness, leading to many HCPs experiencing verbal or physical violence.
Researchers conducted a retrospective study exploring how healthcare professionals (HCPs) in ICUs perceive and cope with workplace violence.
They performed qualitative descriptive analysis across 4 hospitals in Sweden, utilizing semi-structured focus group interviews with HCPs of ICUs.
The result showed that 34 participants were interviewed at the 4 hospitals, comprising 14 nurses, 6 physicians, and 14 other staff members. The normalization of violence in ICU care highlighted a complex relationship among HCPs, who viewed violence as an integral part of caregiving while also identifying as victims of the violence. The HCPs reported feeling inadequately prepared and lacking the necessary tools to handle violent situations, leading them to rely primarily on self-taught skills for managing such incidents.
Investigators concluded that enhancing the understanding of violence normalization in ICU care suggested a multifaceted approach to address the structural and cultural roots, promoting a more sustainable healthcare system.
Source: ccforum.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s13054-024-05028-5
